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11 Bonfire
Terakhir Diperbarui:
2025-04-23 15:53:23
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Fated In Darkness 12 A Confrontation
NatalieLisa and I were still chatting as we walked when a voice called out behind us."Hey! Hey, you two!"I turned, my stomach sinking as I spotted Michelle and her entourage of sorority sisters strutting toward us.Their heels clicked against the pavement in unison, their movements sharp and deliberate. I didn’t have the energy for whatever drama they were bringing."What do you want?" Lisa called out, her tone sharp.Michelle didn’t answer right away. Her icy gaze stayed fixed on me as they closed the distance.I considered walking away, but Lisa planted her feet firmly, crossing her arms with her signature I-don’t-care-who-you-are look.Michelle stopped a few feet from us, a smug smirk tugging at her lips. “There are rules on this campus,” she said, her voice laced with condescension. “And it seems you haven’t gotten the memo.”I raised an eyebrow, trying to keep my face neutral. “What rules?”Michelle tilted her head slightly, her dark hair shimmering under the streetlights.“Guy
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-23Fated In Darkness 13 Denial
NatalieI was too wired to sleep and too distracted to concentrate in class.Everything that had gone wrong with Michelle after the bonfire—the tension, the stares—had faded into insignificance.Adrian had texted me.Not just some casual check-in. He had gone out of his way to get my number. He said he wanted to see me.When? I didn’t know.But the thought of it was enough to make my skin hum with restless energy.Carson had messaged me a few times too, and I responded as politely—and distantly—as I could. I didn’t want to give him the wrong idea. He was nice. Sweet, even. But he wasn’t Adrian.“Hey, wanna help me hand out flyers today?” Lisa asked, bouncing up beside me.Honestly, I wasn’t looking forward to it. The idea of standing in the sun, smiling at strangers, and hawking whatever student event we were promoting sounded exhausting. But Lisa would’ve done it for me.And besides, she had no one else.“Okay,” I said with a tired smile. “But I can’t stay too long. I’m running on
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 14 An Invite
NatalieI made it back to my apartment on campus, bone-tired and ready to collapse into bed.But something stopped me at the door.A small package sat neatly on the mat, topped with a card. Not just tossed there—placed carefully, deliberately.I frowned, glancing up and down the hallway, but it was empty. Silent.Curiosity buzzing under my skin, I picked it up and carried it inside. I set it down on the couch, tossing my bag aside, and pulled the card free first.It was handwritten—elegant, precise.The roses are red,and the evening is bright.Come dance with meat the ball tonight.Adrian.My heart fluttered wildly.I opened the box next, and inside, lying atop soft tissue paper, was a single red rose—its thorns carefully removed. Thoughtful. Almost old-fashioned.Beneath the rose was a dress.A red dress.I pulled it out and gasped. It was stunning—short, backless, daring in all the right ways. The fabric shimmered faintly under the low apartment lights, the kind of dress designed
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 15 The Ball
NatalieThere were a lot of important people there—senior students, alumni, professors, and even a handful of dignitaries and a few multi-billionaires.It was clear: this wasn’t just a party. It was an elite gathering.The kind where every handshake was a transaction and every smile was laced with expectation.The only person who didn’t belong was me.I knew I looked the part—the dress, the jewelry, the careful makeup—but I felt out of place.A freshman among giants.I kept scanning the room, searching for Adrian. Hoping he'd show up soon. Hoping I could have someone to lean on before my nerves unraveled completely.I was so caught up in my own swirling anxiety that I didn’t see her approach.Michelle.She slipped into my peripheral vision like a shadow, her presence sharper than a blade.“What are you doing here, Pierce?” she asked, her voice dripping with that familiar, I’m-better-than-you tone.I turned toward her slowly, trying to school my face into something neutral. She stood
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 16 And He Arrives
NatalieOne of the security guards reached for my arm, and I yanked it away instinctively."Don’t touch me," I snapped, my voice low but firm.I wasn’t mad at Michelle anymore. Not really.I was furious at Adrian.Furious that he wasn’t here to meet me. Furious that he had left me standing alone in a place where I clearly didn’t belong."I can show myself out," I muttered.The guards exchanged a look and then stepped back, letting me be.Michelle stood nearby, watching the whole thing unfold with thinly veiled amusement. She didn’t even bother hiding the smug satisfaction on her face.Her expression practically screamed:If you were one of us, this wouldn’t happen.I had the sudden, immature urge to flip her off—but I was wearing a dress that cost more than some people's rent, and despite everything, I still had my dignity.I held my head high instead.I was just about to turn and leave when the announcement system crackled to life."Ladies and gentlemen," the voice boomed through t
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 17 The Evening
Natalie"Let's go somewhere private," Adrian whispered against my ear, his breath warm, sending a shiver straight down my spine.I didn’t hesitate. I was more than ready.He excused himself with a graceful nod to the others at our table, and I mirrored him, barely aware of the curious stares trailing after us.But instead of leading me toward an exit, Adrian steered me toward the dance floor.A waltz had just begun, the orchestra swelling with old-world grandeur.He pulled me close, his hand steady against my back, guiding me with a confidence that left no room for doubt or hesitation.The last time I had danced like this was with my father—and for a moment, a sharp pang of bittersweet memory twisted inside me.But I pushed it down.Tonight wasn’t for sadness.Tonight was for living.I let myself lean into Adrian, feeling the way his body moved with mine, leading without words, commanding without force. I could feel eyes on us—burning, envious, curious. Let them watch.I didn’t car
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 18 A Little Heat
NatalieI jumped into Adrian’s arms, and he caught me with effortless strength, like I weighed nothing.My fingers threaded through his thick hair, pulling him closer, desperate to taste more of him.The ache inside me was blinding, a raw need that only he could ease—and he knew it. He pressed me tighter against the wall, his mouth devouring mine, his tongue claiming, coaxing, making me forget where I ended and he began.The world outside the office blurred into nothing.There was only us. Only this."Natalie," he whispered against my lips, my name falling from him like a broken prayer. There was a roughness to it—a battle raging inside him, one he was barely winning.I was already lost.His lips trailed down my jaw to my neck, then lower to the bare skin of my shoulder, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.Goosebumps broke out across my skin, every nerve ending alive and straining for more.When I felt his teeth graze my neck—just the barest, teasing scrape—I arched into him,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-26Fated In Darkness 19 After the Ball
NatalieJust as I'd expected, the next day was chaos. Everywhere I went, eyes followed. Whispers floated through hallways and over lunch tables.Overnight, I had somehow become a sensation, and no one could seem to look away. Even people who used to barely tolerate me were now gawking like I was something rare on display.A few of the Phi girls, who had never spared me a second glance before, suddenly decided we should be best friends.The attention pressed down on me, heavy and strange. I couldn't figure out what had sparked it. Was it the invitation to the ball? Or was it the fact that I was with Adrian?Honestly, separating the two felt pointless. Still, it stung a little — since when did it matter so much who you showed up with?Lisa plopped down beside me on the grass, her grin wide with gossip. "Apparently, our handsome stranger is a big deal," she said, practically buzzing with excitement.I laughed, shaking my head before glancing at her. "A big shot isn't dangerous anymore,
Terakhir Diperbarui : 2025-04-29
Bab terbaru
Fated In Darkness 37 An Old Mistake
AdrianArya walked in five minutes later, moving with that same graceful arrogance she always carried like a second skin.“Took you long enough,” I said, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice.“I wasn’t in the club,” she replied, tone sharp—just a little too forward for my liking.I let the silence hang between us for a beat longer than necessary. Her tone was bold, but I understood where it came from.That confidence wasn’t entirely hers. It was inherited—gifted, even—by my mother.Ever since I turned Arya, over two hundred years ago, my mother had made her position clear: Arya was to be kept close.The girl had been the daughter of one of my mother’s closest friends—a bloodline she didn’t want to see vanish. Arya had been dying from a rare illness, the same one that had taken her mother. There was no surviving it.My mother asked me to turn her.And I did.Not out of compassion. Not because I felt some stirring in my undead heart. I did it because of obligation—to my mother, t
Fated In Darkness 36 Show Some Respect
Adrian“I plan to report everything to Dimitri,” Phelix said carefully, “so he can decide whether we hand over the vampire who turned her… or Geoffery, for deceiving us.”I didn’t need to think long. Either way, someone was going to die.But I knew how this would play out. It wasn’t the fault of the vampire who attempted the turning—he couldn’t have known. And Volodymir? He’d never sacrifice Geoffery. The man was too valuable.A loyal servant, head of a bloodline tied too deeply into the old covenants. Volodymir would rather extract a lifetime’s worth of debt from him than offer him up as payment. That was his style—slow control, not clean endings.I wasn’t about to say any of that to Phelix.He was only telling me this much because the fight had happened on my doorstep—outside my club.Otherwise, I’d be hearing it thirdhand like everyone else. He knew that, and so did I.The real conversation would happen behind closed doors—with Dimitri. The decisions, the maneuvering, the blood—non
Fated In Darkness 35 The Cause Of The Brawl
AdrianI left Natalie’s place with tension coiled tight in my chest. The moment I found out someone had ignored my direct orders, the night was over. Someone—bold or foolish—had decided to call my bluff and tell Graham exactly where I was.I had a few suspects in mind. Faces. Names. But I wasn’t the type to act on impulse. Not yet. I needed to be certain before making a move that couldn’t be taken back.Natalie hadn’t been happy about the interruption. I didn’t blame her. We'd barely had any time together before the knock interrupted us. Her eyes said everything—disappointment, frustration, the silent question she didn’t bother asking: Can you ever just stay?But this wasn’t something I could let slide. Neither of us was pleased, and both of us knew why.The club was packed—loud, chaotic, electric. Heat rolled off the crowd, thick with music and the scent of sweat, perfume, and blood.Most nights, I’d make my way to the VVIP section, let the night blur under strobe lights and velvet r
Fated In Darkness 35 An Invite
Natalie“Let’s give it time, Mom,” I said softly, my fingers tightening around hers. “I have a plan.”She pulled back slightly to look at me, her eyes scanning mine—hope flickering there, desperate to latch onto anything that resembled a way out. “A plan?” she echoed, her voice tentative.“I’ll stall Uncle Michael,” I said, choosing my words carefully. “We won’t leave. Not yet. Not until your treatment is complete. And if he still insists on pushing this marriage nonsense… then we’ll go. But I want to be sure we’ve explored every option first.”She let out a small, bitter laugh and shook her head, though a trace of a smile tugged at her lips. “How long do you think you can stall your uncle?” she asked, her tone laced with dry sarcasm. “He’s not exactly the patient type.”Her laugh quickly faded, replaced by a flash of shame, and I saw it then—that quiet anger she carried. Not at me. At herself. At her body for failing. At the fact that her illness had become chains, not just around he
Fated In Darkness 34 What I Want
NatalieSomething had to have happened to make her say this—to even think about leaving Hawkshire so suddenly. My mother, for all her spontaneity, wasn’t careless. And this? This felt like more than a whim.“Is everything alright, Mom?” I asked softly, searching her face.She nodded, but the gesture was too quick, too rehearsed. She was lying. Not out of malice, but to protect me. She always did that—carried the weight quietly, so I wouldn’t have to.“You know we can’t,” I said gently, grounding the truth between us.Her eyes shimmered instantly, and she looked away. The dam behind her composure cracked, and tears welled in her eyes. She tried to blink them back, but I saw. I felt it.This confinement—this looming illness, this shadow of uncle Michael—was caging her spirit. My mother, who once danced barefoot in the rain, was now drowning in stillness.“I can’t sit back and let you sacrifice yourself for my sake,” she said, her voice trembling.I shook my head, tears already burning a
Fated In Darkness 33 How Did You Meet
Natalie“So,” my mother began, folding her hands in her lap with a polite smile, “how did you two meet?”There was a hint of curiosity in her voice, carefully masked but unmistakable to me. She wasn’t just making conversation—she was searching, trying to fit the pieces together.“Cainebrielle,” I answered simply, and her smile deepened. She turned her gaze to Adrian then, clearly expecting him to fill in the blanks.“A student?” she asked lightly, but I felt her eyes slide to mine, subtle and questioning. I hesitated, caught off guard. I didn’t know how much to say.Adrian, ever composed, answered before the silence stretched too long. “A former student,” he said gently. “But now, a sponsor.”His tone was modest, but I saw the flicker in my mother’s eyes—a flash of surprise she couldn’t quite hide. She was probably doing the math in her head. He was far too young, far too striking, to be a sponsor.“I’m filling in for my father,” Adrian added smoothly, catching the shift in her expres
Fated In Darkness 32 Home
NatalieAs I stepped out of the car, the night air wrapped around me, cool and still. I closed the door gently, expecting Adrian to follow, but when I glanced back, he was still seated behind the wheel, hands resting casually, eyes following my movement with quiet curiosity.I hesitated, then leaned against the window, suddenly aware of how fast my heart was beating.“I didn’t want to seem too forward,” I began, chewing on the inside of my cheek, “but… would you like to come in? I mean, just to meet my mom.”As soon as the words left my mouth, I cringed and instinctively covered it with my hand. God, why did that sound like a proposal? My face flushed with heat, and I scrambled to undo the damage.“Not like we’re getting married or anything…” I added, forcing a laugh that came out too breathy, too nervous. My mouth opened again to explain further, maybe soften the awkwardness, but I gave up and sighed instead, defeated.Adrian let out a full, warm laugh—one of those genuine, deep ones
Fated In Darkness 31 The Drive Home
NatalieWe slipped into Adrian’s car in silence, the soft click of the doors closing feeling louder than it should have.I could sense the weight of his disappointment as he gripped the steering wheel a little too tightly, his jaw set in quiet frustration.He had ended the interruption quickly, whoever it was, but the damage had already been done. My mother’s call had cut the evening short, bringing an abrupt end to what was supposed to be our first real chance to just be—no past, no obligations, no shadows trailing us.I let out a breath I didn’t know I was holding.“Sorry about the interruption,” Adrian said gently, stealing a glance at me. His eyes softened when they met mine, but he quickly turned his focus back to the road.“It’s okay,” I murmured, though the words felt hollow. I stared out the windshield, watching the world blur by in shades of grey and gold, but my mind wasn’t in the car anymore.My mother’s voice had been steady on the phone—too steady. I knew her calm tone we
Fated In Darkness 30 A Cold Way Out
Adrian"Please," Graham rasped, still clutching my leg. "If she fails the transformation, she'll die. And even if she lives, I'll be powerless. I have no sons. She’s all I have left. Either way, my bloodline ends."His voice cracked under the strain. His grief clung to the air, thick and suffocating. He wasn’t wrong — but it didn’t change anything.I had seen this before — heads of families, desperate and broken, coming to me with bleeding hearts and empty hands, begging for a different fate.But my answer was always the same."No," I said quietly, my voice like stone. "I’m sorry, Graham. I can't help you."He sagged against me, the last bit of hope draining from him."If I take you into my clan," I continued, "I would be breaking the treaty. The very foundation of the peace we all cling to. When my bloodline broke from the strigoi, it was a war that could have ended us all. We reached an impasse. An agreement was forged: I would not take or turn what belonged to Volodym
